Nurturing Your Growing Child

Joëlle Emond February 12, 2014 Health, Heart Health, Kids

Blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure are the last items on the priority list of a child or adolescent.

However, eating habits that dictate if their heart is in good shape or if it will become weak later are determined from a very young age.

Give them fruits and vegetables

If left to their own devices, kids would probably only eat bread and sweets. This is normal, since tastes develop with time and experience. Sometimes a new food item may have to be shown to a child numerous times before she finally takes even a single bite of it.

To help them develop a taste for veggies, serve them a small amount on their plate at every meal. Ask them to keep it in this spot even if they choose not to eat it. Also serve vegetables with foods they love, like for example, broccoli in a mac and cheese or lettuce and cucumbers in a chicken sandwich. Finally, set a good example by eating vegetables yourself.

Help them enjoy whole grains

The fibres in whole grain bread and pasta or brown rice prevent cholesterol build-up in the arteries. They also reduce the appetite further and help maintain a healthy weight.

If whole grain products are not a hit with everyone at home, then mix them with refined or ‘white’ products. Make sandwiches with a slice of white bread and a slice of whole grain bread, or a dish of white and whole grain pasta.

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Author

Joëlle Emond

Passionate about food and health, Joëlle Emond always finds a way to convey her desire to cook and eat healthy! Good communicator, she can be found both in print media and on television. She is the founder of 123Nutrition, a company through which she delivers lectures on healthy eating.